MORPHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF THE FAT BODY OF BEES TREATED WITH ACARICIDAL DRUGS

Abstract

There were studied morphometric parameters of the fat body of bees as influenced by acaricidal drugs Sanapin and Varrosan, powder of wormwood, smoke of horseradish root, powder of eucalyptus leaves used for treatment of bee colonies for varroatosis. The work was done at the apiary “Yagyaev”, Belogorskiy District, Republic of Crimea. The thirty bee colonies being analogs of Carpathian breed were selected and divided into six groups in 5 colonies each. To study morphometric parameters of the fat body, isolated cells were obtained by Merzabekov’s methods; their area and the area of their nuclei were measured before treatment with acaricides and a month later. Statistical data were processed using methods for calculating variation coefficients and for evaluating meaningful differences among the average values by Student’s t-criteria. The largest indicators of the increase in the size of the cells of the fat body and their nuclei were observed in the groups of bees treated with Sanapin, with that, the area of the cells treated increased 1.2 times, the area of the nuclei 1.6 times. This indicates the accumulation of the backup material in them, which increases viability of the bee’s organism. The acaricidal effect of the drug was 96.01 ± 2.44%. Treatment with the other preparations also led to an increase in the area of the cells and nuclei of the fat body, but to a lesser extent: Varrosan – 1.1 and 1.4 times, powder of wormwood – 1.1 and 1.3 times, powder of eucalyptus leaves – 1.2 and 1.4 times, respectively. The acaricidal effect of Varrosan was 93.65 ± 2.73%, powder of wormwood 72.90 ± 7.92%, and powder of eucalyptus leaves 55.94 ± 10.21%. Treatment of bees with smoke of horseradish root did not result in a significant change in the morphometric parameters of the cells of the fat body. The acaricidal effect of this treatment was 49.30 ± 5.39%.